Pound goes further in Warsaw, culture vultures told

UK holidaymakers planning a cheap cultural city break should head to Warsaw, new figures show.

The pound stretches further for live shows, galleries and museums in the Polish capital than 16 other cultural hotspots, according to the Post Office Travel Money study.

A poll of 2,099 UK adults found that 46% of regular city break tourists rate cultural attractions as a key factor in choosing a destination.

The report found that even though sterling buys nearly 16% fewer Polish zloty than a year ago, cultural tickets in Warsaw cost 40% less than in 2015.

For just £65 UK visitors can go to the city's top museum, art gallery and heritage site, plus take in nights at the Polish National Opera, National Ballet and a symphony concert.

This is less than a quarter of the cost of equivalent tickets in the most expensive cities, which were New York (£304) and Barcelona (£277).

London was found to be the third most costly destination at £256, followed by Madrid (£239).

One ticket to see Otello performed by the Madrid Opera at the Teatro Real in the Spanish capital is more expensive (£156) than the cost for two UK holidaymakers enjoying all six of Warsaw's cultural highlights, according to the study.

Budapest is the second cheapest city at (£78), with Dublin in third (£120) and Prague fourth (£126).

Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money, said: "It is encouraging to see that prices have actually fallen in several of the cultural capitals surveyed this year.

"This means arts lovers can get to see a world-renowned orchestra or a top opera or dance company at very reasonable prices, despite the falling value of sterling.

"Bear in mind, though, that prices can vary dramatically from one city to another so do some homework before booking a culture break."

:: This is a ranking of 17 cities in order of how expensive their live performances, galleries and museums are for UK visitors, according to Post Office Travel Money:

1. Warsaw, Poland (£65)

2. Budapest, Hungary (£78)

3. Dublin, Ireland (£120)

4. Prague, Czech Republic (£126)

5. Stockholm, Sweden (£147)

6. Moscow, Russia (£155)

7. Brussels, Belgium (£160)

8. Berlin, Germany (£199)

9. Paris, France (£228)

10. Vienna, Austria (£228)

11. Copenhagen, Denmark (£232)

12. Amsterdam, Netherlands (£236)

13. Rome, Italy (£237)

14. Madrid, Spain (£239)

15. London, UK (£256)

16. Barcelona, Spain (£277)

17. New York, USA (£304)